Writing-to-Learn Exercise: Previewing Your Research

Your prior experiences, knowledge, and cultural or moral beliefs affect the way you approach any topic. Our opinions are influenced by a variety of external factors: culture, religion, media, family upbringing, personal experience, educational experiences, ethnicity, etc. When you approach any situation, your interpretation of the issue (or even you interpretation of the text) is shaped by all of your prior experiences, by what you already believe and why you believe it.

Therefore, this exercise will require you to consider what it is you are “bringing to the table.” What do you already know and believe? What in your background shapes your knowledge and opinions? What do you hope to gain or learn through this experience? For this exercise, you are to write 1.5-2 pages that explore any initial assumptions or beliefs you have about the issue you’ve chosen to research. You should also consider how these assumptions will affect how you approach the topic.

This is to be submitted in class on Wednesday, March 3. DO NOT write a numbered list; it should be written in essay format.

Consider the following questions:

  1. What, if anything, do you already know about this issue surrounding your question?
  2. What preconceived opinions do you have about this issue? In other words, what do you already believe to be true about this issue? What do you already believe to be right or wrong?
  3. Do you have any prior experience with this issue, or do you know anyone with any personal experience? How does this influence your opinion?
  4. How does your background affect your views? Consider moral or religious beliefs, educational experience, political opinions, etc. (It is very unlikely—mostly likely impossible—that you would not have anything in your background that affects your opinions. Consider this issue carefully. To claim that nothing in your past or environment influences you is, quite frankly, a cop-out.)
  5. What questions do you have about this issue? What do you hope to learn or understand after completing your research?